Means for adjusting clotheslines



1949- D. E. HUTCHINGS MEANS FOR ADJUSTING CLOTHESLINES Filed Jan. 50,1945 Inventor jarzaZdffiiaz'iys By 2 mm Potented Jan. 25, 1949 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,460,088 Y 'MEANS FOR ADJUSTING CLOTHESLINESDonald E. Hutchings, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application January 30,1945, Serial No. 575,241

l I 1 cats; (01. 211-41902) :This invention relates toa meansforadjusting clotheslines, and more particularly to such a means adaptedto raise and lower a line as desired.

A primary object of this invention is the provision of an improveddevice adapted to raise and lower a clothesline, in such manner that theclothes may be readily placed thereon to ground level, and subsequent toplacement of the clothes thereon the entire line may be, raised to arelatively high position in such manner that the clothes aresubstantially out of the way and that space therebeneath may be utilizedas desired.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of such a devicewhich will be sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efiicientin operation, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture andinstall.

Other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements ofparts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointedout hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, whereinthere is shown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a complete clothesline embodyingthe means for adjusting the same comprising the instant invention,various positions of adjustment being indicated by dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 2-2 of Figure 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of a constructional detail.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of an additional constructural detail,and

Figure 5 is an enlarged constructional detail view, certain concealedparts thereof being indicated in dotted lines.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings, there is generally indicated at H]a side wall of a building or the like, to which is adapted to be securedthe device comprising the instant invention, and spaced :3. suitabledistance from, which is a line supporting post H or other desired devicefor supporting the opposite end of the clothesline.

Secured to the post H as bya hook i2 is a pulley l3, about which ispassed a' double line It, the opposite end of which surrounds a pul leyI5, secured to a hook l6 comprising a por Lil 2 7 tion of a movableblock W. As best shown in Figures 2 and 3, the block i1 comprises amember U-shaped in cross section, across the legs of which arepositioned tapered rollers 58 mounted for rotation on axles E9. Theblock I! is adapted to be positioned about a pipe or rod 2t, secured tothe side of the building 10 and angled outwardly therefrom toward itslower end. An eye 2! adapted to be secured as by a threaded extremity 22into the side wall of the building 10 supports the upper end of thepipe, and the lower end thereof is supported by and secured to a member23 comprising angularly disposed side portions 25 and a base plate 25angled downwardly therefrom, the extremities of the members 24 and 25being flanged as at 26 and 21, respectively, and adapted to be securedto the wall of a building as by means of screws or bolts 28. The lowerextremity of the pipe 26 may be seated in a suitable aperture 39 in theextremity of the member 25.

The upper extremity of the member i1 is provided with an eye 34 to whichis secured the extremity of a rope 32 which extends over a pulley 33suspended at ,a substantial distance above the extremity of the pipe 29,The rope is in the form of a loop and extends downwardly beneath themember 23, and is adapted, when the line is in raised position, to besecured to a hook 35 secured to one of the members 26.

From the foregoing the operation of the device should now be readilyunderstandable. When it is desired to place clothes on the line, therope 32 is released from the hook 35 and the assembly I! permitted toslide by gravity to the lowermost portion of the pipe or rod 28. Thisplaces the line I4, at one end, within easy reach of an operator on theground, whereupon the clothes may be positioned thereon, and by movinthe line about the pulleys l3 and I5 successively move them toward thepulley l3 and the post ll. When the line is fully laden, the rope 32 maybe pulled and by virtue of the pulley 33, lifts the assembly I1 and itsassociated pulley i5 upwardly to the position shown in full lines inFigure 1. Thereupon the rope may be wrapped or otherwise secured aboutthe hook 35, and the clothes supported at a suitable level above theground.

Obviously, the line It, as well as the pipe 20 may be of any desiredlength, in order to provide the desired distance for raising and/orlowering the clothes.

Now from the foregoing it will be seen that there is herein provided adevice accomplishing all the objects of this invention and othersineluding many advantages of great practical utility and commercialimportance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as manymodifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to beinterpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

In combination, a clotheslin'e having one end fixedly supported, anadjustable support for the other end thereof, said adjustable supportincluding a vertically inclined tubular guide and a block freelyslidable on said guide, said block having legs embracing said guide,-aplurality of pins extending between said legs, a pair of roller means oneach pin for engaging said guide, said roller means consisting of a pairof tapered rolls with their smaller diameters adjacent each other formaintaining bearing at two arcuately spaced :points on thecircumferences of said guide, means for raising and lowering said blockon said guide comprising a pulley mounted above said guide, ,a cableattached to said block and entrained over said pulley and a bracket forsupporting the lower end of said guide and for detachably securing saidcable to maintain said block in vertically ad- Number Name Date 667,453Parker Feb. 5, 1901 836,652 Merrill Oct. 12, 1909 7 1,285,311 Mohar Nov.19, 1918 1,760,458 Weber May 27, 1930 2,059,093 Edwards Oct. 27, 19362235;458 Madigan e e Mar. 18, E41

